Today’s story seed is Man of the World.
Luke 8:24-25
“For whoever wishes to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit oneself?”
Listen to this story seed. There was a young salesman who was eager to please his boss and worked hard at his job. His sales were adequate. One day his boss told him that he could sell more product if he would put some pressure on his clients to buy more quickly.
“How do I do that?”
“You tell them,” instructed the boss, “that we are running short on product and that if they want it in the next two months, they have to order now.”
The new salesman asked, “Are we running short on product?”
“No,” said the boss, “but they don’t know that.”
“But why would I lie to them? Don’t they need to trust me?”
The boss shrugged his shoulders slightly and said, “It’s how the game is played. You have to instill a need for urgency. If you want to be a winner, you have to learn the tricks of the trade. Give it a try and see what happens.”
Using this technique, the young salesman doubled his orders. With his boss’ help, he mastered one slightly dishonest technique after another. He went on to become the manager of the company. He expertly coached his team to sell with no remorse.
He became wealthy. He was always watching the bottom line, which just kept increasing. Even though he married and had kids, money, and the things the almighty dollar could buy, were what mattered to him most. And he had everything—more than one house, more than one boat, the most stylish clothes, a wall of TV, and a manicured lawn.
Eventually he retired. He played golf almost every day. He was not one for charity or service. But he did like to travel. When he died, no one had anything particularly good or bad to say about him. One of his golfing partners said, “He was a man of the world. He traveled everywhere, drank the best scotch, but couldn’t sink a putt to save his life.”
That is what is at stake here—saving your life. The world has a way of shaping us, dictating to us what we supposedly should care about—money, prestige, pride. It is hard to buck that system. It is tempting to let go of your moral compass to embrace the glamour of the world.
There is a career opportunity for you this Lent. Come, find out what life God has in store for you. There is a requirement, though. You will have to spend time in prayer. You will have to share your life with God and listen to what God says to you.
We don’t usually hear God speak out loud to us. In prayerful moments, things stir inside us. Ideas come to mind. Your heart may begin to yearn for something new.
None of us are permanently lost here on earth. God always offers us the chance for new life, a kind of career advancement. When you compare the calm, the joy, and the perseverance that God offers with the glitz, the buzz, and the worry that the world offers, you start to see the benefits of living in the Lord.
You may find ridicule instead of honor, and pain instead of pleasure. That happens when we open ourselves to those truly in need. God leads us on a life well lived even if it may not be easy. That said, it may include the best scotch, and sinking putts, but it won’t be centered on worldly, media-driven desires, or anything dishonest.
The truth will set you free.
Now let’s take 30 seconds to water the seed…
What is your heart’s desire?
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